A writer's Random ramblings
As midterm election season befalls the United States, many voters wonder about the ads we see. Whether in the mail or delivered through the media, do they have any value? If so, what is that value? How can we even think about it when the ads only seem to attack the person someone purports to evaluate? Will the attacks ever end and real information begin?
We may never see the day when politicians quit attacking one another. Their nature appears to lie in each party telling voters what the other side did wrong. Every once in a while, we see a candidate, often early in campaign season, say three or four items he or she seeks to address if elected. If we, the voters, write these down or head to informational sites like the League of Women Voters before going to the polls, we can see with whom we agree. However, since not everyone has the time or the access to the information, we need to change the rules to where we can rely on news outlets to provide it for us. We need articles, debates, and interviews conducted with both sides of each election to give everyone a fair chance at the information. Ads do have other value than helping only voters. Children can learn many things by reading and hearing the ads presented where they live. Print ads especially give them experience with larger words than many books. By asking trusted adults, the youngsters can learn pronunciations and meanings of words. If a smart assistant is available, even a school-based device, that can be used to investigate words that may be new to the adult in the situation. Conversations based on this can help everyone learn and keep them interested in language structures and how those flow into expression of both fact and opinion. Advertisements also enhance math and social studies learning. Many of the ads mention how much funding the candidate provide to the campaign versus how much he or she raised in other ways. Seeing this can spark a child to want to know or even explore how people can go about making money. Later on, the child may try to set up a fundraiser for a favorite cause or help create budgets for wither self or family from the discussions. The numbers side of campaigning can also get the child interested in statistics and how they play into social studies ideas like political races. Ads can even show people how psychology and sociology work by explaining bullying, how to relate civilly to others, and the differences between a person thinking for him or herself and those who think as members of groups. For these reasons, we adults need to see the value in everything. When we can’t see the message of an ad through its attacks on an opponent, we can find a way to teach our children. These ads provide important lessons in civility, from how to word what we want to say to avoiding being the bully and how to analyze what we see, hear, and read. By learning in these ways as well as other to analyze information, we become and teach our children to be better citizens of the world. The better, more civil citizens we all create, the better the world can become for future generations, and the less hatred it will need to endure.
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Hagerstown now has a great place to catch up over appetizers that make for a light meal. If you’re low on time or not all that hungry between 2 and 6 PM Mondays through Saturdays, stop by the Colonial. Find them handily located off Pennsylvania Avenue, not far from Hagerstown Regional Airport. Look for the side of the building pictured below or the sign above the restaurant with the same logo to find it. They offer restaurant or bar seating, and when the weather permits, the patio opens. During Happy Hour at the above-mentioned times, they offer 5 different appetizer baskets for $5 each and 5 types of beer from $2-4. As my family found out on a recent Friday evening, each appetizer basket comes with a generous pile of French fries. The dishes range from Bang-Bang shrimp to chicken strips or wings and clam strips or fried oysters. On a recent Friday late afternoon between school and our older daughter’s marching band event, the family stopped by to try the appetizers. We only had a limited amount of time between things to do, and the Colonial’s Instagram post featuring the dishes inspired the idea to try it. Being the Marylander I am, I went for the Fried Oysters basket. They provide 4 generously sized oysters made to perfection with a very horseradish flavored cocktail sauce, just the way I like it. I also requested the orange habanero flavored hot sauce some of my dining companions had with their food, which the waitress gladly brought. This hot sauce matched beautifully with both the oysters and the large portion of freshly made French fries. All who tried this hot sauce recommend it for those who love spice. Our older daughter, a big fan of sweet and sour inspired concoctions, checked out the bang-bang shrimp. In this case, bang-bang means sweet and sour with extra heat, but not too much. This way, it balances the shrimp and the underlying sweet and sour flavor, but can appeal to even an adult palate, as I found when she allowed me to try some. She also recommends using fries to pick up the last bits of the bang-bang sauce after finishing the shrimp. My husband and our younger daughter went for the Chicken Tender Basket, each with different dipping sauces suited to their tastes. She elected the ranch dressing, while he introduced the table to the hot habanero sauce alongside traditional barbeque. This basket features 3 large chicken tenders with the huge portion of fries. The 8-year-old is still raving about the chicken when asked, constantly calling them “tasty.” They come lightly breaded, so the patron can taste the chicken itself, along with whatever dipping sauce he or she chooses. Once again, the fries match the sauces as well as the main item, so don’t leave any sauce on the plate!
Thus, anyone, from the lightly hungry to the picky eater, can find inspiration to eat at the Colonial. On Pennsylvania Avenue in Hagerstown, Maryland, one can easily find it to stop in between 2-6 PM for Happy Hour or during any open hours Mondays through Saturdays to check out the regular menu. They feature great food at reasonable prices. Next time you’re in town, give Colonial a try. |
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June 2020
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